Company drivers watching those fuel prices climb and the roads looking emptier by the day
Posted by Actual-Ad-6146@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 112 comments
Mystery_Chaser@reddit
I don't understand why this is such a big deal when we don't get our oil from the Middle East. We get our oil from Venezuela and the United States. Europe only guess 20% of its oil from the Middle East. Why is this affecting us at all?
Specific-Aide9475@reddit
The places that usually buy from the Middle East have to buy their fuel elsewhere.
Bad-fathertrucker@reddit
A couple months ago my boss (of a small LTL) asked me if I wanted to go owner/operator, I declined and now the 2 guys he convinced to go o/o are sitting at home because the fuel is too high.
AquilaVI@reddit
... are we great yet?
Mystery_Chaser@reddit
Are we first yet?
Bad-fathertrucker@reddit
I don’t see that happening any time soon
TheOneCalledD@reddit
!remindme 2 months
beavismorpheus@reddit
Right. That's what I'm worried about. There's a buffer to burn through and I'm not sure how bad the aftershocks will wind up being. If it's like $10 a gallon, oh man.
Blue_Veritas731@reddit
The highest average fuel costs in history were registered during Biden's presidency. The second highest ever average fuel costs were registered during Obama's first term. The third highest, during W's time in office. So Trump doesn't even make the top 3.
Stone_Ravenn@reddit
You're either intentionally a liar or an outright idiot the national average has already gone above what it was under Biden's highest month (june 2022) and moreover bidens highest was due to a global pandemic and not a pointless war started out of lies
Blue_Veritas731@reddit
You're wrong. Thank-you for the irony, idiot.
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GASREGW
Stone_Ravenn@reddit
Oh okai so once it does hit higher (even tho the summer average is already well above bidens highest year 2022) then will you admit to your god being a liar, or will you still sit there and champion how high gas prices are a good thing, Also i like how you completely ignored that second part of that statement also i can play the link game too:
https://www.businessinsider.com/gas-prices-forecast-5-gallon-oil-supply-shortages-demand-2026-4
Socosoldier82@reddit
Did you complain when the prices were at 5 year lows right before the war?
Stone_Ravenn@reddit
Nope,but i also didn't hold my breath+ was to focused on the other BS war he wanted to start in south America and of course wanting to strip mine and my friends rights away,but keep simping for the orange pedophile im sure it'll pay off at the end of your life
Blue_Veritas731@reddit
What I find especially amusing, and terribly sad, about people like you, is that when someone contradicts/corrects your incorrect factoid, instead of responding on that point, you immediately and ignorantly jump to pejorative exclamations, assuming all manner of further incorrect things about a person. And the truly sad thing is, people like you vote, thinking you're doing so out of some enlightened superiority, when in fact, you're all sheep, swallowing propaganda that is spoon fed to you, all the while thinking you're expressing original and/or self-reasoned thought.
Trump is not my god. I don't genuflect at the altar of politics or politicians. I don't go around thinking "my guy" is better than "your guy", b/c I don't have "a guy". People with an insufficiently developed sense of self, who feel the need to Belong to the "right group" engage in that kind of juvenile bullshit.
Thanks for confirming the worst in society with your presumptive and arrogant ignorance.
RebelTvshka@reddit
It's okay, you both take turns being sheeples and the rest of us will continue enjoying our days until one of the two sides you represent starts this argument again next time.
Stone_Ravenn@reddit
That's a very big nothingburger you got there "superior" centrist
whytawhy@reddit
Congratulations!
You're brainwashed :D
jvnk@reddit
that's a meaningless point since nothing either of those presidents did caused the prices to be what they were. Today, we let one guy dictate the trajectory of the gasoline market
Rock4evur@reddit
Were any of those high costs due to them personally starting a war of aggression that most Americans find massively unjust? Everyone knows in most cases the president has little power to effect gas prices for the better, but they certainly have a lot of power to make things worse, and it seems like Trump is exercising all that power currently.
wehavetime@reddit
My former boss was a huge trump supporter and now look at what his boy did 🤪
Tractorista@reddit
Did anything good happen with “hope and change”?
No, these are the thought terminating cliches politicians use to put our minds in a box. The two party system is about as real as pro wrestling
ThePlagueFriend@reddit
In 2008, I was going to college full time, working minimum wage full time (grocery store) after school and weekends, while living in a apartment. I rolled pennies for gas and ramen, but I made it out alive.
I could not do that now without additional support and help.
rharrow@reddit
Brother, I’m still waiting for the profits to trickle down to me…
EmergencyBake1336@reddit
Thank you the rest of them are to ignorant to realize
Aimless_Alder@reddit
Yes, gay marriage was legalized. I'm no fan of the Democratic party, but they are, without a doubt, the lesser evil.
socialrage@reddit
We got the ACA. With that the insurance companies can't deny you for a pre-existing condition.
Zodi88@reddit
Which is something orange man wants to get rid of
Hxncheaux@reddit
Does anything good ever happen when poor folks keep expecting rich ones to look out for us? It’s all foolishness. We bicker with one another while they collect checks.
AffectionateEase1606@reddit
Do you not recall the state of the economy when Mr hope and change took office? When he left office the economy was breaking records.
koryx1@reddit
the amount of people choosing to stay determines so, including hypocritical redditors
Boring-Picture-7349@reddit
Record deportations and lowest immigration in 100 years and the fat is being cut in trucking. We're winning.
ohmygodbees@reddit
You shouldnt be driving a truck if you're on that many drugs.
AquilaVI@reddit
chasing the "magic 0" in immigration isn't winning, it's throwing the board off the table and claiming you did. suggest reading up on replacement rates and birth deficits.
Pete387@reddit
Really? They're paying us more for fuel, so this doesn't make sense.
Raticon@reddit
Depends on the contracts and terms.
I know some trucking companies around here that has a fuel clause in the contracts and some who do not.
Actual_Handle_3@reddit
Those who don't have FSC built into their pricing deserve to go under.
Raticon@reddit
Sure, but it can be really tough for a small operation or a single o/o to get what they want in a contract when the volume of stuff that needs to be shipped is low.
Mirria_@reddit
Several years ago my boss was looking at getting a better fuel card.
The typical answers were either "You only have 12 trucks, we're not gonna give you any rebate" and "You already have a fuel card (from a different provider), why should we give you one?"
NYJetLegendEdReed@reddit
theres spot rates paying 8-10 dollars a mile right now. Rates are higher then I've ever seen on the load boards. Owner ops are making a fortune if they know the right lanes.
StormyDaze1175@reddit
how many of them voted for this chaos?
Aether-Black-9@reddit
Voting has jacksht to do with this 😂
Mrdirtyballs214@reddit
Found one!
kashkoi_wild@reddit
Roads are not emptier, until I see traffic like it's the middle of COVID again nothing will change it term of trucking rate/fuel prices etc
probablydeadsooon@reddit
We will see what happens if diesel hits 9,10,11$ a gal. No way can companies sustain that kind of expense vs revenue. Unless they go back to paying covid rates. The demand for oil continues to tighten while no relief is in sight.
Spitfire1011@reddit
Fuel Surcharge
CannedMatter@reddit
God I miss COVID traffic. One of my happiest memories while trucking was during the HARD lockdown of NYC during COVID.
I had the George Washington bridge to myself.
It was ~5:30AM. The light of the sun peaking over the horizon. I got on the highway in Kearney, went up I-95, went through the booths, and it was clear.
Nobody coming the other way. Nobody in my mirrors.
I had the upper deck of the George Washington Bridge To. My. Self.
11-110011@reddit
I have a buddy who got a speeding ticket… on the GW. My boss and I told him he should frame it because that’s never going to happen again.
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
I've been on the East coast for the last couple of weeks and it looks just as busy as it ever was. The last tankers are supposed to arrive this week so maybe the shock comes next week
Godlyeyes@reddit
Reserves might stretch it too
Spitfire1011@reddit
Fuel Surcharge…went Owner OP in February 2025 and when the war hit, fuel surcharge increased…as was intended since 1972.
NoRelation1491@reddit
I get hard everytime I fill up my rig, 3pm loaded at 103k lbs is awesome LOL.
Glad I aint paying that bill.
renostar08@reddit
I'd love to see that
NegusTyGaming-YPSTFU@reddit
Shidddd where?
planetbuster@reddit
oh, another one of these posts.
meanwhile, the straight of hormuz is open now so things should be easing up soon.
Teri_Dee@reddit
Yuuuuuup!!
BeenThruIt@reddit
Y'all might not be smiling long.
peffer32@reddit
And, of course, the company would never cut wages or benefits to pay for the increase. And somehow being a company truck driver disqualifies you from having to pay the rising prices on everything in day to day life.
Efficient_Maybe_1086@reddit
op is just trying to find a positive thing in this clusterfuck man 😔
Actual-Ad-6146@reddit (OP)
Exactly. Tired of the sense of humor censorship lol. They stay mad about everything all the time.
peffer32@reddit
Who's "they?"
Humble_Length5150@reddit
Them...
money_shot17@reddit
The haters bro. They see me rollin', they hatin' - hope that helps. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
supernova-juice@reddit
Why the downvotes? You guys can't answer a simple question?
I want to know too
Snappypants9@reddit
Mad people
Ok-Account-7660@reddit
We're all mad here Alice
peffer32@reddit
When the highest or second highest cost of doing business goes through the roof, the company will look to cut costs and that always rolls downhill. Be it layoffs, pay reductions or whatever, the employees will be the ones paying the price. There's nothing positive about it.
lleu81@reddit
Just got a raise to 97.6 CPM as a team driver. Large companies have the established clients and room to still grow during this shit.
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
Depends on where you work. I can't use PC for 3 months after going 1.5 miles over the limit, but the same week I received my largest check to date.
potatocross@reddit
Sorry my contract says they can’t cut my pay and I’ll be getting a raise in a few months.
peffer32@reddit
Retired now but was a Teamster for thirty years so no pay cuts for me, either. Too bad that represents a small percentage of drivers.
DaSaw@reddit
Nobody really gets pay cuts. They just don't give as many miles, because they don't have the miles to give. Then they hold steady until inflation does the pay cutting for them.
An actual nominal pay cut is a good way to get your workforce unionized.
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
Not having to worry about shelling out hundreds of dollars when I fuel is nice. My company has restricted any abuse of PC because of fuel prices, but to this point, I'm making solid money considering experience & company.
Pete387@reddit
I always see company drivers trying to shit on Owner Ops, but rarely see the reverse.
MarmotWorldOrder@reddit
How many posts of O/O calling company dirvers lazy steering wheel holders have you ignored?
Pete387@reddit
Send me one.
Actual-Ad-6146@reddit (OP)
You’ve gotta be joking. Company drivers get so much shit from Ops. Not real drivers. Steering wheel holders. Sellouts. Just to name a few.
Pete387@reddit
I see those comments being made against idiot drivers, regaurdless of owner status. There are company drivers with millions of miles of experience, and LTL driver who back better than most, or haul specialized freight.
The fact that you said "Then when the tables turn" tells me you're looking at it as a "we're doing better than them now" rather than chosing what you want to do in life and pursuing it, which is what I see from a lot of company drivers. Like you're trying to convince yourself your decision was better.
DaSaw@reddit
Some of us are operating on memory. I haven't seen it much lately, but the idea that O/O is the only way to go for real truckers and that company drivers are unambitious at best and servile at worst is an OLD idea.
I suspect it's dying off because the market is maturing to the point where the security of driving for a large firm now outweighs the money from owning your own rig (which isn't really enough to justify the purchase any more, unless you're either a really good entrepreneur or willing to take a loss to "be your own boss").
TheJokhar@reddit
They're too busy busting their ass for peanuts to post on reddit 🙃
marcmayhem@reddit
I just passed through and back in Philadelphia today. Empty is not exactly how I'd describe the roads.
SkribbyCakes33@reddit
It’s no COVID highways but sure feels less at times.
Actual_Handle_3@reddit
I don't know where you're driving, but it looks as crowded as always. Most carriers have fsc built into their rates, so they don't lose with fuel going up.
WackoMcGoose@reddit
As a civilian whose workplace faces a freeway, can confirm. Not even the slightest decrease in truck traffic out there... and this is Washington, highest fuel taxes on the planet!
Arthur_Digby_Sellers@reddit
EU would like a word about high fuel taxes...
Radiant_Swan187@reddit
They're just projecting their political opinions onto everyone else.
skyfly89@reddit
Even O/O’s are getting FSC. I haul rock and I’m getting like an extra $80+ on every load. Gas is getting crazy but I’m being taken care of. It’s the customers that the cost will increase for
Actual_Handle_3@reddit
My fsc on this load is nearly double what it was for a similar load 3 weeks ago. The guys who get great mileage do well with increased fuel prices.
easymacmac85@reddit
Empty? Owner operators the only ones complaining about fuel prices. They dont haul the majority of the freight for the highways to be "empty"
AmorFati071@reddit
What are owner operators?
beattun@reddit
In Australia, the government asked everyone to try and drive less, to conserve the fuel reserves for people who actually need it, and out of pure spite everyone is driving more, the roads have never been so busy
tousen327@reddit
I'm a o/o and our surcharge is weekly so I'm doing alright but the market being unstable is really fucking with my shit.
Huzul34@reddit
Well he is blocking the strait now and all the tankers in the world are coming to the US to get filled up I guess supposedly.
CobraWasTaken@reddit
Roads getting emptier? That's hilarious
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
Fuel costs suck but it’s a cash flow issue. It can be dealt with thru your tax structure.
biggame2124@reddit
Another clueless poster
crooksFTW@reddit
but when I get home I’m shocked at the prices 🤣
1Stack_Mack@reddit
Empty? The NorthEast is the same disaster it's always been.
Ok_Bug_6470@reddit
Autonomous trucks are coming soon and we are all going to be out of a job
Actual-Ad-6146@reddit (OP)
Too many lawsuits. Infrastructure wouldn’t handle well due to the heavier trucks using huge batteries.
amp804@reddit
That's if they came out today. Eventually the trucks will get better and cheaper. People are investigating hundreds of billions a year into tech companies hoping for agi so they won't have to pay people. You think the same people who pay politicians off are gonna stop because there will initially be lawsuits?
Ok-Account-7660@reddit
They haven't even fully automated the yard dogs at warehouses, you know a controlled environment without any other vehicles in the way. Shits a long way off.
taconot69@reddit
Flatbed and hazmat will be the last to get automated
Azzacura@reddit
Those are both pretty hard to do if you're an idiot like me 🥲 I love driving foodstuffs because every day I don't hit something is a day where I exceed expectations
Wolf24h@reddit
This is not going to happen in your lifetime
bigmac22077@reddit
If you’re 50? Sure probably not. If you’re 30? I’d say it’s a threat to your career.
TheJokhar@reddit
Yeah they're coming, not as fast as you think they are, though. They'll have to wait for infrastructure, and for current trucks to be replaced.
fastnsx21@reddit
Passing a lot of O/Os later in my lil 65mph truck #leftlanegang 🤭
NorseOfCourse@reddit
I got lucky, I'm a (class b) propane delivery driver and a teamster. It's our slow time so we're all good.
Actual_Handle_3@reddit
Fuel prices up, my fuel surcharge goes up.
TheJokhar@reddit
Yeah they're coming, not as fast as you think they are, though. They'll have to wait for infrastructure, and for current trucks to be replaced.
dank_memes_911@reddit
Just got a $2000 FSC on a load that used $1200 of fuel. Glad I switched from company lol.